Requiem
by JME2
Summary: Set after the events of "The Last Command", Captain Gilad Pellaeon prepares for Grand Admiral Thrawn's funeral and the battle that is sure to follow. Please read and review!!


Disclaimer: Star Wars and the characters are owned by Lucasfilm and Twentieth Century   
Fox.. I own the story and any original characters. No copyright infringement is intended.  
  
Requiem: Part I  
  
The Star Destroyer Chimaera drifted slowly through space. The vast Imperial-class Star   
Destroyer finally lumbered to a stop, its awesome sublight engines shutting down as   
power was cut to them.   
  
On the bridge, Captain Gilad Pellaeon looked out at the stars and consulted his data   
cards, trying his best to not look at the chronometer, listed at 1630 hours and the   
technicians removing the bloodstained captain's chair behind him.  
  
It was the chair where Pellaeon had last the Grand Admiral alive. Where Thrawn had lain   
as he died.  
  
It had been thirty hours since the Battle of Battle of Bilbringi. Thirty hours since Thrawn   
had been prepared to deal a crushing blow to the Rebel fleet, even with the intervention   
of Talon Karrde's smugglers. Thirty hours since Rukh, Thrawn's Noghri bodyguard, had   
betrayed the Empire and all of the ideals of the New Order by stabbing the Grand   
Admiral through his chair.  
  
As the Admiral had lain dying, Pellaeon had ordered a full retreat from Bilbringi,   
knowing that he was abandoning one of the Empire's key remaining shipyards, but seeing   
no other chance of victory. In fact, one of the only benefits to come out of the battle was   
the death of Rukh; Major Grodin Tierce and his Stormtrooper squad had seen to that...  
  
Pellaeon looked out at the stars again, trying to think only of the present situation. Thanks   
to the Chiss admiral, the Empire's territory had been doubled. Unfortunately, it had all   
been held together by Thrawn's authority alone. Without him...  
  
The Captain shuddered, not even wanting to consider that scenario.  
  
But still...  
  
There were still Imperial warlords out there, warlords who, like the late Zsinj, had   
refused to acknowledge Thrawn's authority. Combine that with the Central Committee of   
Grand Moffs and their desire for power, then the Empire could be in serious trouble.  
  
"One thing at a time, Gilad. One thing at a time." There would be time to fend off the   
threats of both the Rebels and the Moffs later.   
  
" Captain Pellaeon, your chair is ready," stated one of the technicians. The Imperial   
captain nodded and dismissed the crew, making his way slowly towards the chair. He   
couldn't help but think what might have happened had he been in the chair thirty hours   
ago and not Thrawn.  
"You might as well dismiss that thought, Giliad. You did everything you could to save   
him," he told himself. But still, he couldn't fully believe that.  
  
He sat silent for a few moments before finally keying open the Bridge's private comm   
channel.   
  
"Sickbay."  
  
There was silence for a moment before the comm responded.   
  
"Dr. Chen here captain, how may I be of service."  
  
Pellaeon frowned. He had also disliked doctors, particularly doctors that had to be so   
optimistic in the middle of a crisis. And Chen had been no exception; Pellaeon had   
disliked him ever since he had first come on board the Chimaera all of those years ago.   
He ignored his personal feelings and continued.  
  
"Is the body ready?" asked the cpatain.  
  
"Oh yes, it's all ready for burial, though I would prefer to run a few more tests on him;   
his alien physiology is unlike anything I've ever seen; would you happen to know what   
species he-  
  
"Doctor," growled Pellaeon, his patience nearly at an end.  
  
"Yes, it's all ready for the Imperial ceremony; just say when you're ready and the Grand   
Admiral's body will be waiting for you in the main hanger bay."  
  
"Thank you, Doctor."  
  
Pellaeon shut the link, wondering once again why both he and the Chimaera's previous   
captain had put up with Doctor Chen; the man was obnoxious and a constant pain in his   
side. He ignored these feelings by keying open the shipwide comm system.  
  
"Attention soldiers of the Empire, this is Captain Pellaeon. As always, you have fought   
bravely in the name of the New Order. But now, we must prepare to regroup and defeat   
the Rebels while at the same time mourning the passing of Grand Admiral Thrawn; all   
Stormtroopers and other relevant personnel will report to the main hanger bay at 1700   
hours to prepare for a proper Imperial burial. Long live in the Empire!."  
  
Pellaeon keyed off the comm and straightened himself. He had twenty minutes before the   
service and was preparing to head out when a technicians came running towards him.  
  
"Sir, we have an incoming message from the Central Committee of Grand Moffs; they   
wish to know the status of the fleet.  
  
Pellaeon shuddered; he had been dreading this communiqué and had hoped that it would   
have come after the service.  
  
"That's almost like wishing the Rebels would give Coruscant back to the us," he thought.   
The Captain paused for a moment before replying.  
  
"Tell them that if they would be patient enough, then I will personally speak with them."  
  
The Lieutenant stared at the captain.   
  
"And what shall I tell them more specifically?"  
  
"That we are laying Grand Admiral Thrawn to rest." And with that, Pellaeon stepped into   
the turbolift.  
  
To be continued... 


End file.
